Celebrate summer with the authors of Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries as they discuss the development of the state’s bar cultures – and the taverns that served it up – across Wisconsin. Join the toast at one of many locations, from a Burned Down happy hour on Madeline Island to an Appleton Pub Crawl and UW library discussion.
This Thursday, July 11, the authors will discuss historic bars and breweries at the History Museum at The Castle in Appleton. The 6:30 p.m. Bottoms Up book talk and signing is followed by a Bottoms Up Pub Crawl, on foot, to unique and historic Appleton bars and a former brewery. Pub crawl admission is $5.
The book’s photographer Mark Fay joins coauthor Jim Draeger on Madeline Island Friday, July 12, for a special 4 p.m. Bottoms Up book talk and signing at theWisconsin Historical Society’s Historical Museum followed by a “Burned Down Bottoms Up Toast” to Wisconsin bar culture and history at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, a unique outdoor tavern featured in the book and located near the museum.
Coauthor Jim Draeger returns to the ‘mainland’ to present a Bottoms Up book talk and signing Tuesday, July 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Oscar Grady Public Library in Saukville.
UW Milwaukee Libraries welcome coauthor Mark Speltz Aug. 8 for a discussion of bar history and culture as part of the university’s “Revisiting Our Past Local History Lecture Series.” The book talk begins at 7 p.m. in the Golda Meier Library on campus. A book signing follows.
A special screening of the Wisconsin Public Television documentary “Bottoms Up: Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries” is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Demmer Memorial Library in Three Lakes, Wis. Coauthor Jim Draeger will join the screening event to talk about the book that inspired the documentary and host a book signing following the screening. In addition, Draeger will be giving a special book talk at the Three Lakes historical society annual meeting the evening before.
Bottoms Up wraps up its “Toast to Summer Tour” with a kick-off to “Autumn on the Farm” book signing from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Old World Wisconsin site in Eagle with coauthor Jim Draeger. That evening, Draeger will be discussing the book at a special members-only Wisconsin Historical Foundation event. Members should watch their Society correspondence for details; or, join the Wisconsin Historical Foundation today and learn more!
Bottoms Up ‘Toast to Summer’ Tour Schedule
Appleton
Bottoms Up Book Talk & Pub ‘Crawl’
History at The Castle Museum
Thursday, July 11
5 p.m.
Madeline Island
Bottoms Up Book Talk & Burned Down Toast
Friday, July 12
4 p.m.
Madeline Island Historical Museum – Book Talk
5-6 p.m.
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe – Happy Hour Toast
Saukville
Bottoms Up Book Talk
Tuesday, July 23
6:30 p.m.
Oscar Grady Public Library
Milwaukee
Bottoms Up Book Talk
Thursday, Aug. 8
7 p.m.
UW Milwaukee Golda Meier Library
Three Lakes
Bottoms Up Documentary Screening & Book Signing
Wednesday, Aug. 14
6:30 p.m.
Demmer Memorial Library
Eagle
Bottoms Up Book Signing
3-5 p.m.
Old World Wisconsin Gift Shop
The Wisconsin Historical Society Press, publishing the best of
Wisconsin history and culture, since 1855
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Books will be available for sale at these events.
The authors will be on hand to sign books.
About the book:Bottoms Up, from Wisconsin Historical Society Press, highlights the history of Wisconsin’s beer making tradition and bar culture. Beginning with inns and saloons, “Bottoms Up” explores the rise of taverns and breweries, the effects of temperance and Prohibition, and attitudes about gender, ethnicity and morality. The book traces the development of the megabreweries, dominance of the giants, and the emergence of microbreweries. Seventy taverns and breweries are featured.
About the authors: Jim Draegeris an architectural historian and deputy state historic preservation officer at the Wisconsin Historical Society, with more than 25 years of historic preservation experience. From roadside architecture to Northwoods resorts, Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, and lectures. Mark Speltz is a senior historian at American Girl with a master’s degree in public history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He previously worked as an independent researcher on exhibits for museums, including the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, and has written several articles for the Wisconsin Magazine of History.
To schedule an author interview or for more information, please contact Kristin Gilpatrick at the Wisconsin Historical Society Press:kristin.gilpatrick@wisconsinhistory.org or 608-264-6465.